Just Breathe: What Children Can Teach Us About Mindfulness
Sometimes, the most profound lessons don’t come from a lecture hall or a bestselling book. Sometimes, they come from a five-year-old.
Julie Bayer Salzman, a filmmaker and graduate of the Mindful Schools program, discovered this firsthand one afternoon when she overheard her young son talking with a friend. They weren’t discussing toys or cartoons. Instead, they were reflecting—yes, reflecting—on how emotions affect different parts of the brain. Even more incredible, they were talking about how deep breathing could help calm them down.
This wasn’t a fluke or a trick of the imagination. These children, barely out of preschool, were absorbing real tools for emotional regulation. They were students at Citizens of the World Charter School in Mar Vista, California—where social-emotional learning was not an afterthought, but a core part of the curriculum. And it was working.
A Moment of Awakening
Julie was both surprised and overjoyed. Watching her son describe emotional intelligence with such clarity sparked something in her. If her child could learn these life-changing practices at school, maybe it was time for her to explore them too.
She enrolled in a 6-week online mindfulness course through Mindful Schools. Within the first week, she began noticing changes—small at first, but unmistakably powerful. Not only was she feeling more grounded and calm, but her relationships began to shift. Conversations deepened. Reactions softened. Presence became her new baseline.
And, like any artist moved by something real and true, Julie knew she had to share it.
The Birth of “Just Breathe”
With the help of her husband—also her filmmaking partner—Julie decided to create a short film called “Just Breathe”. They gathered their son, his classmates, and family members one Saturday afternoon and began filming.
There was no script. No rehearsals. No coaching.
Just children.
Being real.
Speaking honestly about their emotions, their stress, their anger—and how they learned to deal with those overwhelming moments by simply pausing… and breathing.
The result? A film that is as tender as it is powerful. “Just Breathe” captures something we all need to remember: we don’t outgrow the need for emotional regulation. We simply forget to practice it.
What These Children Are Teaching Us
What’s most striking about the film isn’t just the wisdom the children offer—it’s the clarity and calm with which they offer it. They speak about the brain, the breath, and the body with a level of understanding that many adults are just beginning to explore.
They remind us of something essential:
Mindfulness isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
Especially in a world that often moves too fast for our own nervous systems to keep up.
And here’s the beautiful irony: while we often see adults as the teachers, it’s the children in this film who are guiding us. They are showing us the path back to balance. Back to breath. Back to presence.
Just Breathe—Today
So I invite you to watch the film. And more importantly, I invite you to pause. Just for a moment. Just long enough to place your feet on the floor, soften your shoulders, and take one slow, intentional breath.
In through the nose.
Hold.
Out through the mouth.
Repeat.
It’s simple. It’s ancient. And it works.
Whether you’re new to mindfulness or returning to it after some time, let this be your gentle reminder: peace begins with a single breath.
Let the children lead us. Let the breath return us. And let today be the day we remember to simply… just breathe.
